Hello,

This is for a trip NEXT summer, but I am travelling with my mom and she likes to have her plans well in advance and since she will be paying for half, I shall humor her. My two boys, 6 and 8 next summer, will also be with us. We will be in Southern Germany for a number of weeks and I would like to do a side trip. We have about a week for this side trip and I originally thought that visiting Plitvice National Park would be worth it, but I've read that it is very crowded in summer (what place isn't?).

My question is, is it really too crowded to make it worth our while and would we be better off just staying in Slovenia? I've found some info on the caves in Slovenia, Postojna and/or Skocjan, Triglav National Park (Tolmin Gorges), as well as Lipica (Lipizzan Stud). So maybe seeing Slovenia more in depth would be worth our while.

And, whatever your answer, where might be a good area to stay? I tend to use AirBnB for most of our bookings and always enjoy a kitchen with kids, so am looking for areas, not necessarily a hotel, unless you know of a great apartment.

Thank you!!!

I would recommend Slovenia as is very beautiful country not so on tourist radar-much less crowded. Only Bled during weekends and Postojna Cave can be crowded.
As Slovenia is small you can base yourself in Ljubljana-one of the prettiest capitals in Europe, very child friendly-and make day trips all over. Everywhere in Slovenia is max.2 hours drive. Roads are very good and you can also visit Plitvice for a day. Ljubljana to Plitvice is 3 hours or Venice 2.5 hours.
I assume that you will have rent a car from Germany, so you will need Austrian and Slovene vignetta which allow you to drive on Motorways.

I loved Slovenia too - a very unappreciated country at least by Americans, it seems. Ljubljana is one of my favorite cities in Europe. I was there for a brief visit at the start of my recent trip - only one night, but it was a delight to be back. It would make a great base for day trips while at night it would offer a variety of dining opportunities and beautiful evening strolls.

However, nothing I have seen in the area compares to Plitvice. I had my second visit there just this week (just got home from my trip). Plitvice is amazing - dozens of waterfalls (some small), huge lakes - just a wonderland. Yes, I imagine it would be crowded in the summer. My suggestion: stay at one of the park hotels (and book it early - free cancellation on Booking.com), and get up early and walk down from your hotel into the park as soon as it opens (7AM as of this last week when I visited). By 10AM you will have to compete with tour groups, but this is worse in some areas than others. And you can probably see all of the upper lakes (which are a short boat ride across from the walk down from the hotel/entrance 2) in those early hours.

Hi Wendy

I am also planning a Germany trip starting early June 2016 and making a loop south from Berchtesgaden south to Slovenia and Croatia then back up to Garmisch-P. My main objective is world class Plitvice National Park which I first visited in 1964.So do try to include it for your trip. Andrew is right on.
Right now my sub trip is:
Berchtesgaden-Ljubljana-Plitvice-Rovinj-Verona-Garmisch-P.
20hrs, 1500km of driving(plus any day trips)

For you and your family I can recommend Plitvice, Ljubljana (although no blockbuster sights), Postojna Cave(Skocjan may be too strenuous), Predjama Castle exterior, Lake Bled, Vintgar Gorge, and generally rural Slovenia. Rovinj and Verona are still on my bucket list.
A side note. My 7 and 12 year old grandsons made me stop at every Sommerrodelbahn (Luge) we were passing in Germany..

Thank you for your responses! As for now then, maybe we will keep Plitvice on the radar and I like the idea of staying close and getting up early. We are up early anyways, so might as well enjoy it!

And yes, we too had to hit most of the Sommerrodelbahn last summer with my two boys. I've never been to Berchtesgaden and am especially excited about it. We will stay near the Chiemsee as well where we have good friends.

Thank you!

Berchtesgaden looks beautiful from the pictures I've seen. I wouldn't know, even though I did a day trip there years ago from Salzburg: it poured rain the entire time. I mostly wanted to see the Nazi documentation center anyway, but I didn't get to see much natural beautiful besides water.